There are many callings to atheism, with no particular common denominator. Significant are those that suggest non-belief is a rejection of belief partly because of negative feeling toward organized religion, or a matter of life's convenience. There are few that actually have a well formed non-belief in a deity. This may be the case because ultimately non-belief in a deity is so similar to belief in a deity that they are virtually indistinguishable. The subject at hand is teleology, doctrines explaining phenomena by their ends or purposes. A great quote for all atheists and all is the following.
Fundamental quote: "Theology is but the ignorance of natural causes reduced to a system."--Baron d'Holbach, Common Sense (1772)
Basically, what this says is I don't believe because it doesn't make sense to me. The root of this is that if something is knowable, I can know it - cause I'm smart. :) Maybe not.
The first part or our posting on atheisms, see http://used-ideas.blogspot.com/2012/05/athiest-creatures-of-faith.html, was more general and foundational, but not philosophical. In this note, let's look at views of celebrities. Such folks are frequently challenged in interviews about their religious beliefs. No doubt, they reflect the non-believing views of a great number of atheists. The main site for celebrity atheists is http://www.celebatheists.com/wiki/Main_Page. An interesting group. None seems to consider the fundamental philosophical positions for or against the existence of a God. Many celebrities copy one another. Maybe they don't think deeply on theism or a-theism, arguably the most important topics there are.
1. I wish I could believe but cannot, by something within me. Jack Nicholson
Woody Allen, "I do occasionally envy the person who is religious naturally, without being brainwashed into it or suckered into it by all the organized hustles."
2. I don't even think about it. Many contributors.
3. I believe I'm a spiritual person, but not one with a deity. From Ingmar Bergman we have,
This insight has brought with it a certain security
that has resolutely eliminated anguish and tumult,
though on the other hand I have never denied my
second (or first) life, that of the spirit.
4. I believe in being honorable, honest, and fair to others, and treating them so. Many contributors.
5. Without belief, there would be nothing left but overwhelming doom. Lance Armstrong
6. Katherine Hepburn: "I'm an atheist, and that's it. I believe there's nothing we can know except that we should be kind to each other and do what we can for each other."
7. Some are doubters, and those perhaps arrogant about it. Some need proof. Cameron, Malkovich. Now consider, I don't believe at all. I deny a deity. Again from
Ingmar Bergman we have
"When you die, you are extinguished. From being
you will be transformed to non-being. A god does not
necessarily dwell among our capricious atoms.
This is true faith."
Also, we hear from the great cinematographer, James Cameron, "I've sworn off agnosticism, which I now call cowardly atheism. I've come to the position that in the complete absence of any supporting data whatsoever for the persistence of the individual in some spiritual form, it is necessary to operate under the provisional conclusion that there is no afterlife and then be ready to amend that if I find out otherwise."
Similar, " I believe in people, I believe in humans, I believe in a car, but I don't believe something I can't have absolutely no evidence of for millenniums."
8. Belief in a diety causes more death than any other form of modality. Gore Vidal (Consider the French revolution and the aftermath where atheists began to send their children to Catholic schools primarily because of the teachings of morality.)
9. The Agnostic is but a cowardly atheist. It is like it is not ok to not know. You must take a stand, deity: yes or no. Nothing in the middle is allowed. Studs Terkel and others.
10. I am atheist because I'm skeptical of organized religion such as Christianity - Kurt Vonnegut. Some reject Christianity and therefore believe themselves to atheists. I am an atheist because the ritual of religion seems ridiculous. We hear from Gene Roddenberry, "I listened to the sermon, and I remember complete astonishment because what they were talking about were things that were just crazy. It was communion time, where you eat this wafer and are supposed to be eating the body of Christ and drinking his blood. My first impression was, "This is a bunch of cannibals they've put me down among!" For some time, I puzzled over this and puzzled over why they were saying these things, because the connection between what they were saying and reality was very tenuous. How the hell did Jesus become something to be eaten?
11. In many there is a sense of humility in non-belief. I believe in belief. Armstrong
12. Some hedge. I'm an atheist but love religions and the rituals. Jody Foster
13. Feynman, ""I thought nature itself was so interesting that I didn't want it distorted (by miracle stories). And so I gradually came to disbelieve the whole religion."
14. I only believe in the here and now. Reality is only what I see, only what I believe in.
From John Lennon, in his 1970 song we have
God is a concept by which we can measure our pain...
I don't believe in magic, I don't believe in I-ching,
I don't believe in bible, I don't believe in tarot,
I don't believe in Hitler, I don't believe in Jesus,
I don't believe in Kennedy, I don't believe in Buddha,
I don't believe in mantra, I don't believe in Gita,
I don't believe in yoga, I don't believe in kings,
I don't believe in Elvis, I don't believe in Zimmerman,
I don't believe in Beatles...
I just believe in me, Yoko and me, and that's reality.'
15. It is all about what's reasonable. Who created who?
From Richard Leakey, noted paleontologist
"I myself do not believe in a god who has or had a human form and to whom I owe an existence. I believe it is man who created God in his image and not the other away around; also I see no reason to believe in life after death."
16. Basically, God does not work with my world view. Many contributors.
17. There is no evidence - nothing has been revealed to me. Many contributors.
16. Humor. There is no god. I don't believe in the message of traditional religion, but it is expressed with humor. Woody Allen and Dave Berry. Make no doubt, this does not diminish their comments. That is their manner of expression.
18. Alternate gods. It seems many without a god do wish to have one. So, they invent one. This is not uncommon. From the director Darren Aronofsy we have, "It's probably because I'm Godless. And so I've had to make my God, and my God is narrative filmmaking, which is -- ultimately what my God becomes, which is what my mantra becomes, is the theme.
In our next post, we'll consider "deeper" more philosophical views on atheism. Unhappily for non-believers, it all comes down to faith in this or in that. Put reason aside; you must. On which side of the fence are you? Faith and belief are foundational in our essence! Either way, you must have faith/belief in one or the other - logic and evidence aside.
Fundamental quote: "Theology is but the ignorance of natural causes reduced to a system."--Baron d'Holbach, Common Sense (1772)
Basically, what this says is I don't believe because it doesn't make sense to me. The root of this is that if something is knowable, I can know it - cause I'm smart. :) Maybe not.
The first part or our posting on atheisms, see http://used-ideas.blogspot.com/2012/05/athiest-creatures-of-faith.html, was more general and foundational, but not philosophical. In this note, let's look at views of celebrities. Such folks are frequently challenged in interviews about their religious beliefs. No doubt, they reflect the non-believing views of a great number of atheists. The main site for celebrity atheists is http://www.celebatheists.com/wiki/Main_Page. An interesting group. None seems to consider the fundamental philosophical positions for or against the existence of a God. Many celebrities copy one another. Maybe they don't think deeply on theism or a-theism, arguably the most important topics there are.
1. I wish I could believe but cannot, by something within me. Jack Nicholson
Woody Allen, "I do occasionally envy the person who is religious naturally, without being brainwashed into it or suckered into it by all the organized hustles."
2. I don't even think about it. Many contributors.
3. I believe I'm a spiritual person, but not one with a deity. From Ingmar Bergman we have,
This insight has brought with it a certain security
that has resolutely eliminated anguish and tumult,
though on the other hand I have never denied my
second (or first) life, that of the spirit.
4. I believe in being honorable, honest, and fair to others, and treating them so. Many contributors.
5. Without belief, there would be nothing left but overwhelming doom. Lance Armstrong
6. Katherine Hepburn: "I'm an atheist, and that's it. I believe there's nothing we can know except that we should be kind to each other and do what we can for each other."
7. Some are doubters, and those perhaps arrogant about it. Some need proof. Cameron, Malkovich. Now consider, I don't believe at all. I deny a deity. Again from
Ingmar Bergman we have
"When you die, you are extinguished. From being
you will be transformed to non-being. A god does not
necessarily dwell among our capricious atoms.
This is true faith."
Also, we hear from the great cinematographer, James Cameron, "I've sworn off agnosticism, which I now call cowardly atheism. I've come to the position that in the complete absence of any supporting data whatsoever for the persistence of the individual in some spiritual form, it is necessary to operate under the provisional conclusion that there is no afterlife and then be ready to amend that if I find out otherwise."
Similar, " I believe in people, I believe in humans, I believe in a car, but I don't believe something I can't have absolutely no evidence of for millenniums."
8. Belief in a diety causes more death than any other form of modality. Gore Vidal (Consider the French revolution and the aftermath where atheists began to send their children to Catholic schools primarily because of the teachings of morality.)
9. The Agnostic is but a cowardly atheist. It is like it is not ok to not know. You must take a stand, deity: yes or no. Nothing in the middle is allowed. Studs Terkel and others.
10. I am atheist because I'm skeptical of organized religion such as Christianity - Kurt Vonnegut. Some reject Christianity and therefore believe themselves to atheists. I am an atheist because the ritual of religion seems ridiculous. We hear from Gene Roddenberry, "I listened to the sermon, and I remember complete astonishment because what they were talking about were things that were just crazy. It was communion time, where you eat this wafer and are supposed to be eating the body of Christ and drinking his blood. My first impression was, "This is a bunch of cannibals they've put me down among!" For some time, I puzzled over this and puzzled over why they were saying these things, because the connection between what they were saying and reality was very tenuous. How the hell did Jesus become something to be eaten?
11. In many there is a sense of humility in non-belief. I believe in belief. Armstrong
12. Some hedge. I'm an atheist but love religions and the rituals. Jody Foster
13. Feynman, ""I thought nature itself was so interesting that I didn't want it distorted (by miracle stories). And so I gradually came to disbelieve the whole religion."
14. I only believe in the here and now. Reality is only what I see, only what I believe in.
From John Lennon, in his 1970 song we have
God is a concept by which we can measure our pain...
I don't believe in magic, I don't believe in I-ching,
I don't believe in bible, I don't believe in tarot,
I don't believe in Hitler, I don't believe in Jesus,
I don't believe in Kennedy, I don't believe in Buddha,
I don't believe in mantra, I don't believe in Gita,
I don't believe in yoga, I don't believe in kings,
I don't believe in Elvis, I don't believe in Zimmerman,
I don't believe in Beatles...
I just believe in me, Yoko and me, and that's reality.'
15. It is all about what's reasonable. Who created who?
From Richard Leakey, noted paleontologist
"I myself do not believe in a god who has or had a human form and to whom I owe an existence. I believe it is man who created God in his image and not the other away around; also I see no reason to believe in life after death."
16. Basically, God does not work with my world view. Many contributors.
17. There is no evidence - nothing has been revealed to me. Many contributors.
16. Humor. There is no god. I don't believe in the message of traditional religion, but it is expressed with humor. Woody Allen and Dave Berry. Make no doubt, this does not diminish their comments. That is their manner of expression.
18. Alternate gods. It seems many without a god do wish to have one. So, they invent one. This is not uncommon. From the director Darren Aronofsy we have, "It's probably because I'm Godless. And so I've had to make my God, and my God is narrative filmmaking, which is -- ultimately what my God becomes, which is what my mantra becomes, is the theme.
In our next post, we'll consider "deeper" more philosophical views on atheism. Unhappily for non-believers, it all comes down to faith in this or in that. Put reason aside; you must. On which side of the fence are you? Faith and belief are foundational in our essence! Either way, you must have faith/belief in one or the other - logic and evidence aside.
I do not struggle with belief or non belief any more. I do however struggle with revealing the fact that I am an Atheist to my many Christian friends. I just want to scream when they pray of this or that, or give a god credit for everything.
ReplyDeleteI have not read part one yet, but will now.
Happy Holidays. I see it as a season to celebrated family.